CPL's Course: Operations questions with complete answers

CPL's Course: Operations questions with complete answers WARFIGHTING PHILOSOPHY •Maneuver warfare seeks to shatter the enemy's cohesion through a series of rapid, violent, and unexpected actions which create a turbulent and rapidly deteriorating situation with which the enemy cannot cope. •Besides traits such as endurance and courage that all warfare demands, maneuver warfare puts a premium on certain particular human skills and traits. It requires: - The temperament to cope with uncertainty. - Flexibility of mind to deal with fluid and disorderly situations. - A willingness to act with initiative and boldness. - The moral courage to accept responsibility for this type of behavior. LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY Leading Marines describes a leadership philosophy that reflects the traditional strengths of the Marine Corps as an institution and attempts to define the very ethos of being a Marine. Marine leadership philosophy: •Is about the inseparable relationship between the leader and the led, and is as much about the individual Marine—the bedrock upon which our Corps is built—as it is about any leader •Captures the undefinable spirit that forms the character of our Corps—being a Marine comes from the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor that is tattooed on the soul of every one of us after earning the title United States Marine •Is based upon certain fundamental traits and principles of leading—Marines are not born knowing them, but must learn what they are and what they represent HONOR A code of personal integrity, honor guides those who do the right thing when no one is looking. It is not only a duty but also a distinction, as those who possess honor are held in honor. It is found in one's beliefs but exhibited through one's actions. Marines are held to the highest of standards, ethically and morally. Marines are expected to act responsibly in a manner befitting the title they have earned. COURAGE When other principles are tested, it is courage that prevents them from crumbling. It is not about ignoring fear but being stronger than fear. Courage is the guardian of all other values. It is there when times are toughest, when difficult decisions have to be made. It takes the form of mental, physical, and ethical strength, and it is found in the backbone of every Marine. COMMITMENT Commitment is the spirit of determination found in every Marine. It is what compels Marines to serve our nation and the Corps and to continue on when others quit. Commitment does not take breaks, and it cannot be faked. It measures and proves one's desire, dedication, and faithfulness. Becoming a United States Marine represents the highest level of commitment. WAR DEFINED War is defined as a violent clash of interests between or among organized groups characterized by the use of military force. •These groups have traditionally been established nation-states, but they also include any non- state group—such as an international coalition or a faction within or outside of an existing state—with its own political interests and the ability to generate organized violence on a scale sufficient to have significant political consequences. •The essence of war is a violent struggle between two hostile, independent, and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other. It is critical to keep in mind that the enemy is not an inanimate object to be acted upon but an independent and animate force with its own objectives and plans. •Appreciating this dynamic interplay between opposing human wills is essential to understanding the fundamental nature of war. OBJECTIVE OF WAR The objective of war is to impose our will on our enemy. •The means to this end is the organized application or threat of violence by military force. •The target of that violence may be limited to hostile combatant forces or it may extend to the enemy population at large. •War may range from intense clashes between large military forces—sometimes backed by an official declaration of war—to subtler, unconventional hostilities that barely reach the threshold of violence. FRICTION Countless factors make war difficult to conduct. Collectively, these factors are called friction. Friction: •Is the force that resists all action and saps energy. It makes the simple difficult and the difficult seemingly impossible •Can be mental or physical •Can be external or self-imposed Whatever form it takes war is a human enterprise; therefore, friction will always have a psychological as well as a physical impact. UNCERTAINTY Another attribute of war is uncertainty. All actions in war take place in an atmosphere of uncertainty, or in the "fog of war." •Uncertainty pervades battle in the form of unknowns about the enemy, the environment, and even the friendly situation. •The very nature of war makes certainty impossible; all actions in war will be based on incomplete, inaccurate, or even contradictory information. •Because we can never eliminate uncertainty, we must learn to fight effectively despite it. We can do this by: - Developing simple and flexible plans - Planning for likely contingencies - Developing standing operating procedures - Fostering initiative among subordinates FLUIDITY Each episode in war is the temporary result of a unique combination of circumstances, presenting a unique set of problems and requiring an original solution. Since war is a fluid phenomenon, its conduct requires flexibility of thought. •Success depends in large part on the ability to adapt—to proactively shape changing events to our advantage as well as to react quickly to constantly changing conditions. •The tempo of war will fluctuate from periods of intense combat to periods in which activity is limited to information gathering, replenishment, or redeployment. •A competitive rhythm will develop between the opposing wills with each belligerent trying to influence and exploit tempo and the continuous flow of events to suit their purposes. DISORDER Disorder is an inherent characteristic of war; we can never eliminate it. •In the heat of battle, plans will go awry, instructions and information will be unclear and misinterpreted, communications will fail, and mistakes and unforeseen events will be commonplace. •It is precisely this natural disorder which creates the conditions ripe for exploitation by an opportunistic will. •If we are to win, we must be able to operate in a disorderly environment. In fact, we must not only be able to fight effectively in the face of disorder, we should seek to generate disorder and use it as a weapon against our opponent. COMPLEXITY War is a complex phenomenon. We have described war as essentially a clash between opposed wills. •A division is comprised of regiments, a regiment is comprised of battalions, and so on all the way down to individual Marines. Similarly, a wing is compromised of groups, groups are comprised of squadrons, down to the actions of individual Marines. •Each element is part of a larger whole and must cooperate with other elements for the accomplishment of the common goal. At the same time, each has its own mission; must adapt to its own situation; and must deal with friction, uncertainty, and disorder. •As a result, war is not governed by the actions or decisions of a single individual in any one place but emerges from the collective behavior of all the individual parts in the system interacting locally in response to local conditions and incomplete information. Efforts to fully centralize military operations and to exert complete control by a single decision-maker are inconsistent with the complex and distributed nature of war. THE HUMAN DIMENSION The human dimension is central in war. It is the human dimension which infuses war with its intangible moral factors. •War is shaped by human nature and is subject to the complexities, inconsistencies, and peculiarities that characterize human behavior. •War is an extreme trial of moral and physical strength and stamina. Individuals and groups of people react differently to the stress of war; an act that may break the will of one enemy may only serve to stiffen the resolve of another. Human will, instilled through leadership, is the driving force of all action in war. VIOLENCE AND DANGER War is among the greatest horrors known to humanity. •The means of war is force, applied in the form of organized violence. It is through the use of violence, or the credible threat of violence, that we compel our enemy to do our will. •Violence is an essential element of war, and its immediate result is bloodshed, destruction, and suffering. •While the magnitude of violence may vary with the object and means of war, the violent essence of war will never change. Since war is a violent enterprise, danger is ever present. The human reaction to danger—fear— has a significant impact on the conduct of war. •Everybody feels fear. Courage is not the absence of fear; rather, it is the strength to overcome fear. •Leaders must foster the courage to overcome fear, both individually and within the unit. PHYSICAL, MORAL, AND MENTAL FORCES War is characterized by the interaction of physical, moral, and mental forces. •Physical forces of war are easily recognized, such as men and materiel. •Moral factors, such as a nation's resolve and a unit's morale, are harder to grasp. The term "moral" as used here is not restricted to ethics, although ethics are certainly included, but pertains to those forces of a psychological rather than tangible nature. •Mental factors affect our ability to out-think our enemy. Just because the moral and mental factors are difficult to quantify does not mean that they can be neglected. The moral and mental forces exert a greater influence on the nature and outcome of war. THE EVOLUTION OF WAR While the nature of war is constant, the means and methods we use evolve continuously. The operating environments, tactics, and techniques have changed as mankind and technology have become more developed. Technology advancements are major catalysts of change. Drastic changes in war have occurred due to developments that dramatically upset the equilibrium of war. For example: •Development and use of the rifled bore •Conception and use of conscription to man armies •Use of modern modes of transportation to support war Marine leaders must continue to educate themselves and use this evolution process to their advantage. As an NCO, you must remain proactive in your efforts to develop new skills and learn to apply them in the execution of your daily duties. Science of War Various aspects of war fall within the realm of science, which is the methodical application of the empirical laws of nature. The science of war includes those activities directly subject to the laws of ballistics, mechanics, and similar disciplines. For example, the application of fires, the effects of weapons, and the rates and methods of movement and resupply. However, science does not describe the whole phenomenon. Art of War An even greater part of the conduct of war falls under the realm of art, which is the employment of creative or intuitive skills. Art includes the creative, situational application of scientific knowledge through judgment and experience, and so the art of war subsumes the science of war. The art of war requires the intuitive ability to grasp the essence of a unique military situation and the creative ability to devise a practical solution. It involves conceiving strategies and tactics and developing plans of action to suit a given situation. This still does not describe the whole phenomenon. Dynamic of War There is far more to the conduct of war than can be explained by art and science. Art and science stop short of explaining the fundamental dynamic of war. The essential dynamic of war is the dynamic of competitive human interaction rather than the dynamic of art or science. Human beings interact with each other in ways that are fundamentally different from the way a scientist works with chemicals or formulas or the way an artist works with paints or musical notes. It is because of this dynamic of human interaction that fortitude, perseverance, boldness, esprit, and other traits not explainable by art or science are so essential in war. WAR AS AN ACT OF POLICY War is an extension of both policy and politics with the addition of military force. Policy and politics are related but not synonymous. •Politics refers to the distribution of power through dynamic interaction, both cooperative and competitive. •Policy refers to the objectives established within the political process. •We should recognize that war is not an inanimate instrument, but an animate force which may likely have unintended consequences that may change the political situation. STRATEGIC The strategic level involves national strategy and military strategy. •National strategy sets policy objectives and mobilizes the nation's resources for attaining these goals. •Military strategy focuses on the military means for attaining policy goals. •At the strategic level, forces are distributed and theaters of war are established. OPERATIONAL The operational level of war links tactics and strategy. •At the operational level, we decide where, when, and under what conditions we will meet the enemy. •The operational level is focused on winning campaigns. TACTICAL The lowest level is the tactical level. Tactics refers to the techniques and methods for accomplishing a particular mission. •Tactics focus on defeating the enemy at a particular place and time. •Tactics are focused on winning battles. •Most Marines, from rifleman to MEF commander, operate at the tactical level, but many tactical decisions have operational and even strategic implications. The levels of war overlap and affect each other from the top down and from the bottom up. STYLES OF WAR •Attrition seeks to wear down an enemy's material resources. •Maneuver warfare seeks to circumvent problems and attack them from a position of advantage. Maneuver warfare seeks to paralyze the enemy system. In maneuver warfare: •Enemy strengths are avoided and weaknesses are exploited. •Speed and surprise are used to create and exploit an advantage, which often involves greater risk. •Firepower and attrition are necessary when our forces are focused upon particular elements of the enemy's forces. CREATING AND EXPLOITING OPPORTUNITY Exploiting opportunity is the ability and willingness to ruthlessly exploit an opportunity to generate decisive results. At times, it may be difficult to identify the enemy's critical vulnerabilities. We may attack each vulnerability until an opportunity arises. •NCOs that understand the theory and nature of war will be better equipped to anticipate, create, recognize, and exploit fleeting opportunities. •The ability to take advantage of opportunity is a function of: -Speed -Boldness -Flexibility -Initiative A technically and tactically proficient NCO empowered to think critically and make decisions is critical to creating and ruthlessly exploiting opportunities that generate decisive results. FUTURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT The future operating environment will be one of constant and accelerating change. •Economic, demographic, resource, climate, and other trends will engender competition locally, regionally, and globally. •Global integration, intense nationalism, and religious movements will likely exacerbate the tensions created by each of these trends. •Of particular concern are: - Failed and failing states, which could lead to more "ungoverned spaces" and become safe havens for terrorists, criminals, and groups engaged in other illicit activities - Rogue states that use proxies, which allow the state to distance itself from actions and achieve strategic aims simultaneously DEFINE TRADITIONAL WARFARE Traditional warfare is defined as a form of warfare between the regulated militaries of states, or alliances of states, in which the objective is to defeat an adversary's armed forces, destroy an adversary's war-making capacity, or seize or retain territory to force a change in an adversary's government or policies DEFINE IRREGULAR WARFARE Joint Publication 1-02 defines irregular warfare as: A violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant population(s). Irregular warfare favors indirect and asymmetric approaches, though it may employ the full range of military and other capacities, to erode an adversary's power, influence, and will DEFINE HYBRID WARFARE Hybrid warfare is not an official DoD term and is not defined in Joint Pub 1-02, but the term has been used in recent joint and Service documents. •The term hybrid warfare has been used to describe the increasing complexity of conflict that will require a highly adaptable and resilient response from U.S. forces; however, it is not considered a distinct form of warfare. • Hybrid warfare blends traditional and irregular warfare approaches across the full spectrum of conflict. POLICY DoDD 3000.07 policy on irregular warfare is: •As strategically important as traditional warfare, and the DoD must be equally capable in both. Many of the capabilities and skills required for IW are applicable to traditional warfare, but their role in IW can be proportionally greater. •The DoD will be proficient in irregular warfare. •Conducted independently of, or in combination with, traditional warfare. IRREGULAR WARFARE ACTIVITIES -Counter-terrorism -Unconventional -Foreign Internal Defense -Counter-Insurgency -Stability Operations COUNTER TERRORISM Counterterrorism is defined as actions taken directly against terrorist networks and indirectly to influence and render global and regional environments inhospitable to terrorist networks. •The joint force will conduct lethal and non-lethal operations against terrorists and their networks to deter, disrupt, and defeat terrorists and their enablers. •The focus of effort in counterterrorism is to capture or kill terrorists to permanently remove them from a position of damaging influence in the populace. This focus of joint force operations will be to first identify and understand the terrorist network's leadership, affiliate groups, local organizations, radicalized individuals, and supporters and enablers, and then undertake continuous action as part of a global counterterrorist network that uses a broad set of interagency and multinational partner capabilities.